For our 2024 competition, we were delighted to welcome Adam Smith MCA as a judge for the regional finals. Adam’s career has seen him enjoy much success in both The Roux Scholarship, which he won in 2012, and other highly regarded competitions. One of his earliest experiences was as a commis chef for the UK Bocuse d’Or team working under André Garrett in 2007 and Simon Hulstone in 2009. He also won a gold medal at World Skills while representing Great Britain. He was also part of England’s culinary team and won gold and silver medals at the Culinary Olympics and World Cup.
Adam is also one of several Roux Scholars who also holds a Master of Culinary Arts, from the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. Fans of the BBC’s Great British Menu will also recognise him from the 2024 series, in which he cooked his final fish dish at the British Embassy in Paris for the athletes who would go on to compete in the Paris Olympics.
Adam has also been a judge in numerous competitions, such as the Master of Culinary Arts, for which he is Chairman for the kitchen. He has also been a judge on the British Culinary Federation Chef and Young Chef of the Year, as well as at several HRC exhibitions. In 2024, he was also a juror at the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy regional final.
Why is it worthwhile for chefs to take part in competitions?
I think all competitions are a great way to learn for anyone taking part; it’s a very different type of pressure than you have day-to-day in the kitchen at work. It helps teach discipline to practise and refine your dishes while also giving you the opportunity to showcase your own personality and flair.
How important have mentors been to your career?
Having a strong and positive mentor, I believe, has had a massive benefit to my career. When I was just starting out, it was vital to me learning the technical side of my chosen craft and it also helped me to understand how a kitchen and our industry works. As my career has progressed it has been extremely beneficial for me to have someone who can help guide me, be a true and honest sounding board for when I have had to make the big and tough decisions.
What is your top tip for head chefs and executive chefs who want to nurture the talent in their kitchen?
We have to evolve the culture within kitchens and keep them relevant, exciting and driven places to work and thrive. However it is imperative that we maintain the discipline needed to operate at the highest level and not lose the beauty of the skills and craft of our great industry.
What advice would you give to chefs working in hotels to help them prepare for the Roux Scholarship?
Firstly, ensure your recipe entry is accurate and has all the information to make the dish sound feasible and exciting. If you’re lucky enough to get through to the regional finals, make sure you practise the dish several times until it comes naturally and you are familiar with all the elements of the dish. The beauty of working in a hotel is that there are numerous areas to work in a gain the skills needed to win, so utilise them, go and spend time in the pastry, bakery, butchery sections. A good basic understanding of all areas is a massive advantage.
What advice would you give chefs for putting together their recipe application?
The advice I would give to anyone putting together their recipe application is to read it several times, ensure it is accurate and true as those judging know what they are talking about! Have all the correct details and make the recipe jump out and sound exciting the see and taste.
What do you enjoy about judging The Roux Scholarship?
For me it was a real honour to be asked to judge The Roux Scholarship. I see it as a real responsibility and privilege to have gone full circle: from admiring the Roux family and the amazing scholars before me, through to winning and now the chance to help give the next young chef a career-changing opportunity as a reward for all their hard work.
How do employers and kitchen brigades benefit from entering their chefs?
Being part of the process of The Roux Scholarship is a massive benefit for all competitors, it will give them an opportunity to experience cooking alongside some amazing talent in the industry and to be judged by the very, very best chefs in the country, if not among the best in the world. This will hopefully give the competitor a knowledge and confidence to take back to their own teams and kitchens which they can pass on to others who may wish to enter in the future. Also it gives great PR coverage to restaurants and teams that have entrants wo take part and win.
Why is it important to learn the classic cooking techniques?
I believe it is crucial that all cooks starting out gain a good understanding of the classic cooking techniques. It isn’t until you have the fundamental grounding and knowledge that you can take and evolve to create your own style. I think it is impossible to achieve great food is without this grounding, knowledge and respect of the craft and product.
What have you learned thanks to being a judge?
The biggest thing I’ve learned from being a judge is the appreciation for all the hard work and passion that goes on behind the scenes to make the competition happen and to name the next Roux Scholar.